Railroad spike



May 29, 1923. 1,456,682

w. H. STEFFEE RAILROAD SPIKE 'Filed Feb. '7. 1921 INVENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1923 entree WILLIAIE H. STEFFEE, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJiALF TO ADOLPHE D. FIAJOE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILROAD SFIKE.

Application filed February '7, 1921. Serial No. 443,202.

To aZZ whom it may conceww Be it known that T, WILLIAM H. Srnrrnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad Spikes, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad spikes and has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive device of this character.

The invention consists, among other things, in the provision of a spike having a reversely tapered nose or point, said nose acting as a wedge for preventing the spike from being withdrawn from the tie. For cooperation with the spike, I provide a tapered locking key, the point of which is adapted to be deflected laterally adjacent the point or nose of the spike.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear from the detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved spike showing its application,

Figure 2 is afront elevation of one of the spike elements,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section through the spike,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the locking kev.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the key, and,

Figure 6 is a cross section through Figure 1 of the complete spike looking toward the head of the spike.

In the drawings which are merely illustrative of my invention, A designates a rail having the usual base flange D, B designates the spike proper, and C designates a looking key. for said spike. The spike B has a flat head 1 and the usual lip 2. The shank of the spike comprises on one side sections 3, 4. and 5, section 5tapering from the point of the spike toward section 3, section 4 constituting an inclined step or anchoring member, thereby forming a notch having a short inwardly inclined face and an elongated downwardly inclined face. The opposite side of the spike is straight as indicated at 5 but is provided with longitudinally extending flanges 6 and 7 which constitute between them a groove 8. The flanges adjacent the head of the spike are cut away as at 13, thus providing a fiat face 14 on the head hehind the lip 2.

For cooperation with the spike B, I provide a locking key C which is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4L and 5. This key has a flat head 9 which is undercut as at 10, said key having straight but tapered sides 11 and 11, the point of the key being beveled as at 12. The key is of a width to fit between the flanges 6 and 7 and is provided with shoulders 17 which are adapted to abut the shoulders 13 on the spike proper. The groove 8 terminates short of the end or nose of the spike to provide a curved surface 19,

the purpose of this curvature being to de-- fiect the lower end of the key as will presently appear.

The lower end of the spike adjacent its point is wider than the portions below the step 4 and consequently as the spike is driven into the tie, that portion on the spike below section 3 thereof will not be as tightly gripped by the tie as the opposite side 5*. After the spike has been driven home so that the lip 2 engages the rail flange D, the key C will be inserted into the groove 8 of the spike and then driven down until its shoulders 17 abut the shoulders 13 of the spike, the head of the key then being flush with the head of the spike and forming in efiect a prolongation thereof. As the key is driven home it will crowd that side of the spike comprising sections 3, 4L and 5 into the tie so that the anchoring member of the spike will bite into and securely anchor the spike in the tie, due to the angular relation of the parts 4 and 5 of the spikes. \Vhen the key has been driven home, the spur or pointed end 12 of the key will be deflected as at 12 by the curvature 19 at the bottom of the groove 8, and consequently this'spur will be forced into the tie as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1, the nose of the spike being thus effectually dove-tailed into the tie. It will now be seen that any upward pressure applied below the head of the spike, as by creeping of the rail or from any other cause, will result in the shoulders 13 of the spike pressing against the shoulders 17 of the key; but upward pressure of the key will be resisted by the spur 12 which, as will be understood, is anchored in the tie,

the nose 4; of the spike also preventing u s ward movement of the same due to the inclined section or portion 5 of the key. Ihe spur 12 of the key is consequently not depended upon solely to resist upward dishaving its front side tapering, the lower end of the spike being thicker than certain points thereabove. v

2. The combination of a spike having a 1,45e,eea

straight side, and an opposite side provided with a notch having a short inwardly inclined face and an elongated outwardly-inclined face, said straight side being provided with a longitudinal groove of uniform width, spaced shoulders formed at the upper end of said groove, a key tapered throughout its entire length and adapted to fit in and c0- operate with said groove, spaced shoulders being adapted to seat on the spaced shoulders on said spike, said spiketerminating in a curved surface adjacent the point of the spike, said curvature serving to deflect the point of the key away from the spike part.

In witness whereof he has hereunto set his 'hand this 3rd day of February, 1921.

WILLIAM II. 1' STEFFEE.

Attested:

l/VILLIAM E. BAFF, M. V. SOHOENFELDT. 

